This invention relates to a connector apparatus to couple an electrical cable of a power supply to an electrically-resistive heater strip and more particularly to such a connector apparatus to facilitate the seaming together of abutting edges of carpeting by using carpet seaming tape that includes a heater strip which is releasably connected to the low-voltage power supply for heating a layer of thermoplastic adhesive in situ along marginal edges at the back surface of the carpeting.
In my copending application Ser. No. 620,557, there is disclosed a method and apparatus including tape with thermoplastic adhesive for installing carpeting and the like. The method and apparatus include the use of a low-voltage power supply that is connected at spaced-apart locations by cables to a metallic strip employed to generate a sufficient quantity of heat which will conductively heat a layer of hot-melt adhesive to a desired elevated temperature incident to the formation of a bonded connection with the marginal edges at the back surface along the abutting edges of carpeting and the like. The actual bonding operation is carried out while the carpet seaming tape is in situ whereby the back surfaces of abutting edges of carpeting contact the layer of adhesive carried by the metallic strip. The carpet tape disclosed in this application is also adapted for adhering the peripheral edge of carpeting to a floor surface with or without the employment of a nail strip.
This method and apparatus for seaming abutting edges of two pieces of carpeting together enables the formation of a bonded connection having high integrity as well as flexibility to assure the proper abutted positioning of the carpet. By using the electrically-resistive properties of the metal strip carrying the thermoplastic adhesive, it is possible to reheat the adhesive to adjust the position of the abutted edges of carpeting as well as to release the bonded connection formed by the tape.